Trays are often used to store and transport medical tools such as dental instruments for safekeeping and cleaning processes. It is crucial that the tools stored in these trays are properly sterilized and housed to protect users from accidental injury and patients from infection. Several devices are known that provide a way for a dental instrument to be secured and/or sanitized within a tray. Among these are restraints comprised of elastomeric materials such as silicon. One such restraint comprises a ring the instrument may be inserted into. Another utilizes a series of tabs to surround the instrument. Advantageously, all of these devices, especially when using a series of tabs, function to hold an instrument vertically in place in a tray, as opposed to simply resting the tool horizontally on the bottom of the tray.